Lidding machine



NOV- 10, 1953 A. F. LlTcHr-IELD ET Al. 2,658,655

` LIDDING MACHINE Filed June 16, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l NOV. 10, 1953 A. F. L lTcHFu-:LD ET Al. 2,658,655

LIDDING MACHINE Filed June 16, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 patented Nov. l0, 1953 LIDDING MACHINE Anthony Frank Litchfield and William Buxton Welsh, Manchester, England Application .lune 16, 1951, Serial No. 231,922

Claims priority, application Great Britain June 17, 1950 1o claims. (cl. 22e-sai) The present invention relates to mechanisms which in different forms may be used for automatically applying lids, caps and corks to containers (including tins, bottles and jars), the operation hereinafter being referred to broadly as lidding, though this includes the application of corks, caps, etc.

in many trades machinery is already in existA ence for automatically filling containers with -.iquid or solid substances, but these frequently cannot be worked economically, since the closure oi the container has to be effected manually and frequently this operation cannot keep pace with the filling machine.

it is an object of the present invention to provide a machine by means of which li' etc. can rapidly be applied to containers.

The cost o the application of lids by hand is considerable so that the automatic application of such lids will enable overhead costs to be reduced.

The main diiiculty to be overcome in a problem of this sort is to secure an accurate registering between the container to be lidded and the lid which is supplied to it automatically by the machine. it is a further object of the present invention to provide a mechanism for this purpose in which the operation is carried out continuously without halting either the moving parts of the mechanism or the containers being lidded.

According to the present invention a lidding machine comprises a jig member moving continuously in a substantially horizontal plane, means for automatically delivering containers to said jig member, a lid carrier moving synchronously with said jig in a plane parallel to the jig movement and having also a reciprocating component of motion in a plane perpendicular thereto, whereby the lid carrier may draw lids from a supply station and lower them onto the tops of successive containers.

In the preferred form of the invention the jig and the lid carrier are mounted for rotation about a common axis. In suchv a form the lid carrier is preferably supported by an arm pivoted to a rotating shaft and having its outer end guided by a cam track toimpart the neces sary vertical component of motion to the carrier. The cam track would in almost all cases include an overhead portion to enable a positive downward pressure to be exerted on the pivoted arm to force home the lids into engagement with corresponding formations on the containers.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood one form of apparatus made in accordance with the present invention is hereafter described in greater detail with reference to the drawings. This apparatus is intended for applying lids to paint or like cans, the closure of which is effected by means of a fianged lid pushed into the mouth of the can which remains engaged therewith through the deformation of the i'ianges.

in the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective View,

Fig. 2 is plan with top plate removed,

Fig. 3 is perspective of feed motion,

Fig. i is sectional View of pick up motion.

The apparatus comprises a vertical shaft a provided with suitable bearings at its upper and lower ends respectively in a base b and bridge c attached thereto. Towards the lower end of the shaft and secured thereto is circular platforms d and above that a jig member e consisting of two plates spaced apart and each having four notchlilie openings f formed in its periphery. These openings are of such size as to receive the containers to be lidded and to locate the same without any substantial movement lateral to the radius of the jig e. Filled cans shown in chain line at g, are delivered preferably time controlled to the jig member by a continuously moving belt h in a direction substantially radial to the jig, so that they are carried fully into the peripheral openings the leading edges f' of which are flared to assist the entry of the tins.

At the trailing side of the conveyor belt h is a loading belt i mounted on freely rotating pulleys of which the pulley i is on a iXed pivot and the pulley i2 is carried by an arm spring loaded towards the shaft a so that the inner run of the belt overlies the platform and between the two plates of the jig.

rihe rotation of the jig member carries each can from the entry point through a semi-circular path to a discharge conveyor in line with the delivery conveyor h. During the initial part of this movement the can is pushed into the notch of the jig by the loading belt i.

Attached to the jig shaft at a height somewhat above the tops of the containers is a spider lc. in the end of each arm is mounted a plunger 7c having a platen k2 at its lower end to receive a lid m and loaded upward by a spring 7c3. At its upper end the plunger has a roller 7a4 adapted to engage a cam n. In the centre of the platen is a vpermanent magnet 7c5. Y

Fianged lids are fed to a chute o leading to a position over the jig. At the lower end of the chute is a laterally extending guide portion o' and overhanging the lid at the lower end of the chute and in the first part of such extension are flanges o2. The extension o is upwardly inclined and each platen is provided with a vertically sliding pin member k6, which is arranged to engage behind the flange at the leading side of the lid, which is thus initially carried forward mechanically while being held down by the flanges O2 to prevent premature lifting movement of the lid. The lid when it reaches the end of the extension is, already partly on the platen and as soon as the flanges o2 permit, it snaps up magnetically onto the platen, the pin moving freely to permit this.

The method of take-up of the lids ensures that each lid is correctly centralised on its platen and, in consequence, as each can is passed into the jig, there is already a lid in substantial vertical register over it on the platen corresponding to the aperture in the jig in which the can is located. The application of the lid to the can is effected by the engagement of the plunger roller h4 with the cam n at about the mid-point of the semicircular path followed by the cans. The entry of the lid into the can mouth is assured by the slight taper normally given to lids of this kind. The cam may be spring mounted as a safety measure limiting the pressure applied to avoid the possibility of crushing a can of slightly excess height. After the lid has thus been pushed securely home into the mouth of the can, further rotation of the spindle allows the lid plunger to be raised away from the can; the engagement between lid and can is then so strong as to overcome the attractive force between the magnet and the lid. In the event of there being no can to receive the lid, the lid remains in position on its platen and as the pin lc5 is not depending there is no possibility of such platen picking up a second lid.

Further rotation of the jig member brings the can to the discharge conveyor and completes the lidding sequence.

Whilst the platen has been described as being magnetically operative, it will be necessary to replace this by suction or other means, where the lid is nonemagnetic and the method adopted for the take-up will in each case depend on the nature of the material from which the lids are formed.

In a further modification a jig member is arranged to move in a straight line over at least part of its course, whilst lid carriers moving at the same speed are brought down by means of an overhead cam surface to force home lids into successive cans carried by the jig member in a manner analogous to that used in the foregoing example.

The machine is driven by an electric motor p through a reduction gear box which has a slow speed vertical shaft p coupled to the shaft a and a slow speed chain wheel p2 adapted to be coupled by chain p3 to sprockets for the conveyor belts h and j.

What we claim is:

l. A lidding machine comprising a jig member adapted to move continuously in a substantially horizontal plane, fixed stations on said jig member, means for automatically delivering containers to said stations, a lid carrier adapted to move synchronously with said jig member in a plane thereabove and parallel thereto, vertically movable holders on said lid carrier in vertical correspondence with said stations, and each having attracting and retaining means for a lid at the lower end thereof, a feed chute adapted to carry a succession of lids for supply to said holders;` said chute being upwardly inclined over the first part of its length and having retaining means effective to prevent premature attraction of a lid to a holder, engagement and locating means on each holder adapted as the latter passes above said chute to draw a lid therealong until no longer under the inuence of the retaining means on the chute, whereupon the attraction and retaining means on the holder are effective to carry the lid away, means adapted to depress each lid carrying holder so that the lid is forced into the mouth of the corresponding container and then to release the holder, means for returning said holder to its original position, the lid being severed therefrom by its force of engagement with the container, and means for removing each lidded container from its station.

2. A lidding machine as claimed in claim l in which said lid carrier consists of a spider, in each arm of which is journalled an upwardly spring loaded holder in correspondence with a container carrying recess or notch on the jig member beneath.

3. A lidding machine as claimed in claim 2 in which said spider and jig member are supported on a common rotatable shaft which transmits the continuous movement thereto.

4. A lidding machine as claimed in claim l in which said attracting and retaining means consists of a magnetic element.

5. A lidding machine as claimed in claim l in which said attracting and retaining means consists of a platen exerting a suction effect due to vacuum applied thereto.

6. A lidding machine as claimed in claim 1 in which said chute has a lid-supporting base and sides, the lid retaining part consisting of short inwardly directed upper flanges extending from the sides thereof.

'7. A lidding machine as claimed in claim 6 in which the engagement and locating means in the lid holder consist of a vertically-movable depending pin capable of engaging a suitable part of a lid, such as the flange thereof.

8. A lidding machine as claimed in claim 1 in which said chute is disposed just prior to said means for delivering containers to the stations on the jig member.

9. A lidding machine as claimed in claim l in which said means for delivering containers and said means for removing containers comprise endless conveyor belts.

10. A lidding machine as claimed in claim l in which said jig member comprises a pair of spaced plates with one lap of an endless belt moving therebetween adapted to hold containers firmly in position at least during the lidding operation.

ANTHONY FRANK LITCHFIELD.

WILLIAM BUXTON WELSH.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,386,313 Calleson Aug. 2, 1921 1,392,980 Taylor Oct. 1l, 1921 2,510,568 Fouse June 6, 1950 

